NPD Solarbuzz analyst Susanne von Aichberger examines the current state of PV development in Africa's biggest energy market.

South Africa's PV market is mainly based on large-scale solar parks realized under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Program (REIPPP).The results of the program's third bidding round were published in November. The Department of Energy (DoE) is expected to continue the program, albeit under revised terms.The South African PV rooftop market is still small and primarily driven by commercial installations with on-site consumption. A national legal framework for commercially viable net-metering schemes that would boost the residential and commercial PV roof segments is under development but timeline and terms are unclear.Since the end of apartheid in 1994, the South African economy has stimulated a rapid growth of the country's economic and electricity demand. South Africa is the continent's largest energy consumer, with a major demand driver being the mining industry. The country's heavily coal-dependent power generation capacity can no longer meet demand and the electricity consumption is projected to continue strong growth.Read more: http://www.pv-magazine.com/opinion-analysis/publishers-comment/blogdetails/beitrag/south-africas-pv-market_100014279/#ixzz2tqQ0NjYW